Boundaries
by xSonya
Summary: A story about the struggle between sweet friendship and something more. The two had been teetering on the edge of this very unsteady boundary for a very long time. Under unplanned circumstances, Naruto finally passes that invisible line. Will it make them, or will it break them?


**Boundaries**

**A/N****: A fic dedicated to TheseScarletDropsOfINK because of her overwhelming awesomeness. I wish you the happiest birthday to come and my sincerest gratitude for having been such a great friend to me. Please, enjoy.**

Chapter 1

For the past half hour, Sasuke had been watching Naruto from the corner of his eye as he attempted rocking himself back on his chair while trying to balance his pencil on his top lip. It had been amusing to witness, but only for so long.

This here, was Sasuke's idiotic best friend; Naruto, who he'd come to know and, well, tolerate at the very least. Their friendship hadn't always been smooth and conventional like this, and Sasuke might've called Naruto his enemy at one point in the past, but they were both content and satisfied now with the way things turned out. Though, that didn't mean Sasuke still didn't get pissed off with said eccentric individual on a daily basis.

"Stop it. You'll fall." Sasuke sighed, rubbing a very heavy eyelid that threatened to pull him under that almost welcoming darkness every human succumb to at night. Sleep right now, was a very tempting thought indeed.

"But Sasukeeee I'm boreeed." Naruto's whine rang like an alarm reverberating on the walls of his inner ear. Loud and annoying; he wouldn't be called Naruto if he couldn't successfully accomplish the two simultaneously, during the endless hours of both day, and night.

Sasuke breathed another sigh. In all honesty, he was bored too. Anyone who looked in on the two would visibly be able to see how plainly bored the duo were. To their dismay, their math assignment was due in tomorrow and Sasuke didn't particularly enjoy getting yelled at in that infamous plentiful shower of saliva; their teacher really did make him cringe. Detention just wasn't his thing. Naruto on the other hand... Well that was just a different story entirely.

_"Wanna hang out after school?"_

"Can't, got detention again" He grinned sheepishly, though, as if it were an accomplishment of his not to miss his hour after school on a daily basis.****

It seemed Sasuke wasn't the only one that was endlessly pissed off by his presence, though, nevertheless, Sasuke, if not shocked by it, would have to admit he couldn't imagine life without the annoying blonde by his side.

On this one occasion however, Sasuke wouldn't let that be the case, not since they were working together. He had made sure, hence the reason they were sitting here right now, bored out of their minds at 9pm. Who wants to soil a perfect record?

Certainly not Sasuke Uchiha.

"Did you finish those questions yet?" Sasuke mumbled, without really looking up, already knowing the answer as he scribbled down complicated calculations to pointless equations almost lazily in his textbook.

Things had surprisingly been quiet at the Uzumaki household this particular evening; everyone must've gone out, considering they had remained undisturbed for the past few hours. They were comfortably sat in Naruto's bedroom, at a very cluttered desk where books were piled up to the ceiling (Naruto really needed as much help as he could get.)

"No," Naruto pouted, "it's too hard" his tone was dejected. He sat back in his chair, huffing. Naruto often reminded Sasuke of a small child capable of, well, not very much at all. He shook his head; a movement that required next to little effort, although the small smile that threatened to break across the firm straight line of his lips proved quite the opposite.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" Sasuke fixed his dark gaze on him, but his usual reserved features revealed no hint of his inner amusement.

"Show me again, one last time. I know I'll be able to get it right after that!"

"I've walked you through it- what is it, five times already now? And, you do realise you've said the same exact thing each time?"

"But we've been at it for hours!" That same whiny tone returned. "Let's have a break!"

"No more breaks," Sasuke mumbled resolutely. "We've had so many, I've actually lost count. This needs to get done. Today." How many times did Sasuke have to repeat himself to this boy?

Naruto crossed his arms stubbornly against his chest, sitting back in his wooden chair.

With a defeated sigh, "One more time," Sasuke drawled, growing on the edge of becoming annoyed. Sasuke shifted his chair, seating himself closer to Naruto.

He'd gone through one or two fairly difficult equations with Naruto who simply responded with 'hmm'ing, and 'ah'ing' or surprisingly with the occasional nod of the head or an 'Oh I get it now!'

But by the time he'd gotten to the third kind of algebraic equation, Naruto had quietened down slightly. With a brief side-glance; Sasuke could see Naruto watching him intently from the corner of his eye.

What was that look for? He didn't look as if he were paying attention at all. The blond propped his head up on bony knuckles, looking as if he were deep in thought or something; it had stirred something akin to unease in the pit of Sasuke's stomach.

"Sasuke? You know I love you right?"

This wasn't the first time Naruto had said something similar. He probably said things like that because he was always helping him. Yet, his words always had that weird edge of seriousness to them. He never let himself think about that for too long though.

"Mm, I know" The fluent movement of pen to paper stopped for a moment and then he scribbled something down before lifting his head up a little giving the page a once over. "There like that, are you watching?" He mumbled, his bangs casting shadows across his expression.

Was Sasuke avoiding his gaze?

"Hey, look at me" Naruto spoke softly, tilting the others head back with a gentle finger to shed light on those ever dark features. Those stubborn eyes still refused to meet his own, which widened ever so slightly in surprise at the seemingly tender action.

"What is it?"

Sasuke's eyes finally met his, and-was that what he thought it was?

The stoic Uchiha was _actually_ blushing. The word Sasuke and blushing in a sentence was unheard of, up until now that is. Where was his camera when he needed it? Naruto blinked, making sure he wasn't just imagining things, but it was still there. This was the most emotion Naruto was sure he would ever see on that reserved face of his. The strange thoughts that followed were enough to make Naruto's own cheeks burn that familiar shade of pink he'd become acquainted with so well. He was beginning to tread on unfamiliar territory though, dangerous unfamiliar territory.

Not really sure what had possessed him to move in that moment; he leaned forward, gently pushing his own lips against Sasuke's surprisingly tender pair, brushing delicately against them; a light caress of the same softness as velvet.

Sasuke froze, breath caught in his throat. He couldn't respond, nor could he push him away; he couldn't move at all. Sasuke had watched as Naruto let his eyelids fall closed. The finger sliding like silk along his jaw bone made him shudder involuntary, as the feel of that smoothness against his lips slowly grew absent.

Naruto had finally released his lips, which were now parted more in shock than anything and mirrored that of disbelief itself. Dark raven eyes met with those glazed cerulean orbs as eyelids fluttered open. Naruto's eyes always reminded Sasuke of the ocean he always used to gaze upon in the heat of the summer months; smooth and always filled with countless waves of emotion.

Those eyes could always hit him with everything they had, like he was the rusty old wooden boat out in an endless journey at sea; relentless, and naturally trying to fight off those waves. A nature that couldn't be changed...

So easily, anyway.

Those same eyes could bread an unspeakable hatred in him as easily as those same very eyes could make him feel a certain adoration for the blonde, a peaceful calmness, and another emotion Sasuke couldn't quite place. Sasuke looked away, cheeks still flaming defiantly even after Sasuke had willed the burning to cease. It was always hard to say no to such a pair of eyes.

"Excuse me" Sasuke broke the invisible thread that had encompassed them both in its tight knot of closeness, lifting himself from where he sat next to the blonde. The sudden need for space overwhelmed him.

He escaped to the bathroom, which was situated conveniently adjacent to Naruto's bedroom. Upon entering the small space, he was met with his confused reflection, scowling back at him in the mirror. He breathed with a sudden heaviness, his chest constricting. His entire body felt strange and he didn't know what it was, a feeling somewhat unrecognisable. Turning the tap on, he splashed his face with some cold water willing his normal pale-white complexion to return.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He murmured to himself, staring into those dark raven eyes. "It was just a kiss" It's not like it hadn't happened before in the distant past; it had been an ironic coincidence, Sasuke had thought at the time. But, what did Naruto think he was doing now? He thought with a sigh. After a few minutes, he returned to his blonde headed best friend.

"I think we're done, I'm going to go home." He spoke immediately upon entering the room; composure fully intact.

"Huh? But we've got like 2 more sections to get through." Naruto replied, equally composed as if just moments of go nothing at all had happened.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll do it at home." That same cold distant tone that Naruto was so used to hearing was back.

"You could stay here for the nigh-"

"No" He began gathering his books up, placing them in his school bag. Why did Sasuke suddenly feel so irritable? Why did it bother him so much? It was just a kiss... With his best friend... an accident, surely; Naruto accidently on purpose kissed him. It meant nothing. It didn't even happen.

"But Sasukeee"

"Good-night, Naruto" Before Sasuke could leave Naruto reached out and grabbed him by the hand. Sasuke subconsciously flinched at the touch; something he wouldn't normally have done.

"Please stay" Though they'd been through this routine on several occasions, never had those blue orbs held that spark, the one that begged him to say yes just this once. On several occasions had Naruto asked him to stay the night, but he would always reply with a blunt no, Yet this time, Naruto had been bold enough to kiss him just moments before and he couldn't seem to ignore how soft and warm Naruto's hand was against his own.

_Just like his lips..._

**Accident.**

'No' was his only option.

"I have to go Naruto, it's getting late. Itachi will-"

"Phone him" Naruto had the terrible habit of cutting him off while he was speaking, but by now he was used to it. Yet he was growing more easily annoyed than usual. Naruto was being persistent.

"No. I'll call you when I get home." He managed to leave before Naruto could say another word or beg him silently with those innocent eyes of his.

Sasuke didn't live very far although the walk home had seemed to last for a life time, especially with a mind filled with blank thoughts. Sasuke always thought too much, for far too long; he knew it was bad for him so he had begun training himself to clear his mind as well as keeping his emotions in check. He was always good with hiding his feelings, and keeping his expression blank, but earlier, he didn't know what had gotten into him. He must just have a light fever, or something.

Sasuke was glad when he was finally embraced by the familiar warmth of his home as soon as he'd breached the front door. Closing the door, a breath of relief fell from his lips. A very long sleep was in order.

...

Naruto had waited over two hours for the call, but it never came. Picking up his phone, he dialled Sasuke's number, though to his dissatisfaction, he was met with that tedious feminine voicemail that he hated with a passion.

With an irritated huff, he hung up, instead typing a simple text.

'_Are you mad at me?'_

Naruto had lain on his bed staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, just waiting for the familiar buzz of his ring-tone, or message tone to relieve him of his current uneasiness, but Sasuke never replied. The energetic blonde couldn't find it in him to fall asleep, not with Sasuke as a constant on his mind. Naruto was worried he'd pushed Sasuke away... he didn't know what came over him, what the sudden urge was to close that distance. He shook his head. __

Naruto was sure he'd passed the unsteady boundary they'd been teetering on the edge of for a very long time.

One that would either make them, or break them.

**To Be Continued.**

9


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